Basic Mind – Grotto EP

Donning the alias Basic Mind, Perth’s Tim Loughman has inaugurated Cosi Cosi Records with his Grotto EP. Delivered to us via the now omnipresent Lobster Distribution; the EP gets things swinging with analogue-esque percussion, warm and contemplative keys and a melody that will satisfy the Palms Trax and Legowelt heads out there.

All in all, the sonic aesthetic is familiar, and if anything, a little sparse to begin with. However, the low-slung, drowsy bassline drives the track forwards into the second half where the nullified spaces are quickly soaked up and begin to resonate with a more ethereal soundscape. This climaxes over the final two or so minutes, taking us on a cosmic meander through the rich innards of the grotto; making the track something of a compositional curiosity. ‘Grotto’s end paves the way for a more consistent exploration of Basic Mind’s dreamy side with ‘Laika’ – the entire track is coated in a backdrop of sleepwalking synths, syncopated claps and a second bouncing bassline that eventually gives way to a funky acid trip in the latter stages.

On the remix front; Hugo Gerani flexes some serious rework muscles and turns the once meandering Grotto on it’s head, whipping up it’s placid waters into a lively techno workout. It’s 4AM in Room 2 of Corsica Studios with the dazed ravers… or the Perth equivalent. If Hugo’s remix is the night’s last stand, then Dan White’s ‘Digital Bassline Fix’ is the point where people are nodding off on the dancefloor; once again, any moderate elements are swept aside by fistfuls of filters and enjoyably dubbed-out chords.